The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) is holding a seminar to prepare its members for the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which comes into effect on May 25, 2018.

The seminar, which takes place on June 15 at the East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham, will highlight the significant impact GDPR will have on the vehicle rental and leasing industry.

Speakers will examine the purpose of the new legislation and the key changes for the future, with experienced data protection expert Kirsten Whitfield from Fieldfisher LLP on hand to discuss the legal implications of the regulation on the automotive sector.

Jan Hagen from RFS Financial Crime will cover the role and responsibilities of data compliance officers in light of the new regulation, while representatives from Arval will also give their experience of the process the company has gone through to prepare for GDPR.

Jay Parmar, director of policy and membership at BVRLA, who will be chairing the seminar, said: “We know that GDPR will have a significant impact on our members, but we have been assisting them for many years with the introduction of connected vehicles onto their fleets.

"We have also been working with the Information Commissioner’s Office to help develop its understanding of the data protection and privacy risks arising from connected vehicles. With the introduction of the GDPR just 12 months away, this seminar is the next step in that process.”

GDPR builds on existing data protection legislation with a particular focus on digitalisation and technology. Core to the 1998 Data Protection Act are eight data protection principles and GDPR reforms those and introduces new principles of transparency and accountability with the ability to prove consent a significant pillar of the new regulations.

The BVRLA will also be tackling the issues surrounding connected vehicles and data at its upcoming Fleet Technology Congress on July 5.

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